The flip side is done. Sleeves will be cast on today after a bit of head scratching yesterday.
We’ve learned how to calculate increases from the wrist to the underarm – that’s no problem. We’ve learned how to sew seams between stockinette stitches. What I don’t quite get is how to handle increases when using a stitch pattern. Is the edge stitch still done in stockinette? What happens if the increase stitch falls in an awkward place in the pattern stitch? Mine has some twisted stitches.
Not quite sure about these questions. I’ll just cast on and give it a shot. After all, I can always rip it out later.
Over the Christmas holidays several family members asked about the red string at the bottom. I thought I’d mention it in case others might wonder. It’s a provisional cast on. When the top half is finished I’ll pull out the red string and put these stitches on a needle and then work the ribbing from there down. So, no, the red string is not part of the design.
And for something different …
…. Campion / Spindrift trivia
There’s not just one autumn.
To the right (in the hank) is autumn #5. Perhaps the original autumn?
Top left is autumn #261. One that is found on many AS color cards.
Bottom left is autumn #1100. Looks a lot like the Shetland Heathered Aran color called hairst. If only it was produced in Spindrift as well. What a lovely complex color. Hairst is another word for autumn (according to the Shetland Museum’s website).
Purlwise 
The word for autumn in Swedish is HÖST – must be related to the word hairst. I wonder if the Vikings brought höst with them?
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Did you just get the Spindrift Autumn from Janette? Before Campion, J&S’s FC38 was used as Autumn for the patterns in Scottish Collection.
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Hi –
I usually have one edge/selvedge stitch, then one stockinette stitch, inside of which I place the increase. These new stitches are then gradually absorbed into the pattern.
HTH & HNY!
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Regarding where to place the increases…do you ever wonder why most sweaters don’t have shaping (except for maybe the armholes and neckline, and you discontinue the pattern in the area you’re making the decrease – as in, the cable stops cabeling)? Now you know.
My advice would be to sneak it in as quietly as possible. If you need to discontinue the pattern, then do so. But it doesn’t have to be a set number of sts from the edge. Think of how the final piece will look. If a twisted stitch is in your way, don’t twist it. Be crafty, be clever. 🙂
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Marina –
Yes, the 261 came from Jannette. I also noticed she got some Marjoram and put it in a “Mary Tudor” kit. Probably inspired by you!?
I asked her about Delph – she says it’s discontinued. But, I wonder – 261 is another one of those “discontinued” colors.
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Catherine and Tana,
Thanks for the input on the sleeves.
Yes, I’ll try to be crafty and clever. I just need to cast on and knit…..
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…”bottom left autumn #1100..” Such a beautiful color. Where did you purchase this yarn? Is it Jaimeson’s?
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Diane –
autumn 1100 was made by Jamieson’s and marketed under the Campion label. I’m not sure if they ever marketed it with their own brand. It’s currently only sold as Hairst 998 – Scottish Heathered Aran.
I wish they would start selling it in Spindrift.
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lucky me, i have some of the 1100 campion in the stashola.
congrats on your spin-off article. it was quite thrilling to turn the page and find you!
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I’m a bit surprised the Shetland Museum site says ‘Hairst’ is another word for Autumn. It means ‘harvest’. It is used in mainland Scotland, so it might not be Viking in origin. Although it might, I couldn’t be dogmatic about it. I never thought of it as being especially Norse, or especially Shetland, and Robert Burns used it so I think it probably isn’t. Beautiful colours.
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I’ve just thoroughly enjoyed browsing through you Shetland pictures. Looked like a brilliant trip. Just off to catch up on some of your other posts now. Kathleen x
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I generally crochet my seams, and it requires a full knit stitch at the edge of each piece, or it requires a half stitch on each piece–whichever you choose. I generally consider the “seam allowance” when I plan my garment so that the seam is invisible (it looks like a full stitch on the outside). To make this work out, I’ll sometimes put increases or decreases one or two stitches from the edge. In that way, once the garment is seamed, the increases or decreases will match up on the outside.
You can work with a gauge swatch when you’re planning the garment to figure out what seams will work best for the design you have in mind.
I’ve used mattress stitch less often, and only on sweaters where matching wasn’t a problem (stockinette edges or a slip-stitch pattern that required matching the color changes), and so I haven’t done this sort of planning on sweaters without crocheted seams.
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